1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a rescue device and, more specifically, to a rescue device for persons caught in an avalanche and/or mudslide. The avalanche survival kit of the present invention includes a backpack style apparatus having means for discharging a body supporting inflatable airbag able to support a predetermined amount of weight. When deployed, the body supporting airbag reduces the chances of the user from being covered with avalanching snow and allows the user to move along the surface of and in a direction of the moving snow or mud. The avalanche survival kit further includes a homing device transmitter which is activated upon deployment of the inflatable airbag.
The airbag incorporates intake/exhaust valve and pressure gauge for monitoring gas pressure and serving as indicator for a discharged airbag. Once inflated the valve is recessed in the body, preventing damage to the valve or airbag, with aperture clearance for attaching and de-attaching the hose coupling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other rescue devices and kits designed for avalanche survival. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 1,230,290 issued to B. A. Geiger on Jun. 19, 1917.
Another patent was issued to W. Oldham on Jun. 2, 1965 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,034. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,561 was issued to V. F. Asaro on Sep. 19, 1978, and still yet another was issued on Jan. 13, 1987 to Peter Aschauer as U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,754.
Another patent was issued to Peter Aschauer on Dec. 12, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,380. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,909 was issued to Peter Aschauer on Apr. 24, 2001. Another was issued to Ariel Visocekas on Aug. 7, 2001 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,386. and still yet another was issued on Oct. 20, 1981 to Howard Porter as U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,438. Another patent was issued to Carl Rowe on Jul. 2, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,482.
A WIPO publication No. WO84013007 was filed by Peter Aschauer on Apr. 12, 1984 and a U.K. patent was issued to Arthur Dixon on Feb. 24, 1982 in Great Britain as Patent No. GB2081660 and still yet another was issued in Canada on Nov. 30, 1998 to Gerald Kampel as Canadian Patent No. CA 2,255,092.
This invention relates to life preservers which consist of inflatable tubes. The object of the invention is to provide in a life preserver of this type a novel and improved means for inflating the same, a container being provided which is connected to the belt and carries a gas under sufficient pressure to inflate the belt when released. The invention also has for its object to provide novel and improved means for opening the container so that it may discharge into the belt.
Stowage means for an inflatable article such as the buoyancy chamber of a lifejacket, comprising an elongated pouch in which such article is compactly accommodated prior to inflation and which is normally held closed by a series of connected toggles passed through loops at least one of its edges, said article having self inflatable traction member which simultaneously effects collective withdrawal of the toggles from the loops to allow deployment of the inflating article. Except for the parts thereof engaged with the pouch-securing loops, the toggles are contained in a flexible guide tube to ensure their free operation around a curved pouch opening, such tube and toggles being protected by flaps closable by a slide-fastener and press studs.
An avalanche rescue marker system consisting of an openable pack assembly and a trigger inflation assembly, the openable pack assembly being carried by the user on his upper back and the trigger inflation assembly being carried by the user on an upper front portion of his outer garment with a gas tube coupled therebetween. The trigger inflation assembly carries a gas cylinder having compressed lighter-than-air gas therein and is coupled to the input of a deflated marker airbag which in turn has its neck portion coupled to a tether which is folded in anti-fouling loops. When a lever is pulled by the wearer the gas in the cartridge enters the airbag, inflating the airbag after which the airbag automatically escapes, pulling the tether upward along with it. The tether is attached to the wearer and hence, the airbag becomes a marker marking the location of the wearer.
A device for producing a rescue signal for use by a person who is lost or has had an accident. The device is in the form of a compact package including a casing containing a deflated and collapsed airbag, and a cartridge of compressed gas, such as helium, air, or CO2 and a hand lever for forcing the cartridge to puncture it. A needle tube has a first, pointed, end for puncturing the cartridge, and a second end extending into the airbag, and the airbag has a sphincter valve normally holding the airbag on the needle tube, and closing when the airbag is inflated and released. A pull tab is provided on the airbag for grasping by the user for releasing the airbag, and a tether line is tied to the airbag and wound on a spool. The casing is normally closed, confining nearly all of the other components and readily opened manually for exposing those elements. It may be small and light in weight for carrying on the person as in hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, etc., or for scuba diving, or it may be larger for carrying in a car, a boat, airplane, etc. The device is made of inexpensive material and may be considered a throw-away item.
Rescue apparatus and method. The apparatus includes a tear-resistant airbag bound to a frame that is securable to a person. To initiate rescue action, the airbag is inflated by pressurized gas to buoy the attached person at, for example, the surface of the avalanche. The apparatus is formed by a frame with a collar to which the airbag is attached. A filling mechanism for the airbag is positioned within the frame and includes a nozzle valve that operates in accordance with Venturi action.
Lifesaving device for people in avalanches with two airbags, where at least one airbag is a tear-resistant airbag, which can be securable close to a user's body by means of an attachment. In an emergency the device is inflated by mean of pressurized gas so that it, just like a buoyancy body, keeps its user at the surface of the avalanche.
A filling device connects at least one of the airbags to at least one pressurized gas container. The filling device includes a device to open the container and is connected to a filling hole of the airbag, in which case the pressurized gas container with filling device is secured, independent of the airbag, to the body of the user. Each airbag includes at least one pressurized gas container. The filling device for a complete, fulfilling of the airbags by means of the pressurized gas drawn from the pressurized gas bottles is connected via a pressure line to the filling hole of the airbag. All opening devices can be actuated via a common release mechanism.
An avalanche life saving system has at least one inflatable buoyancy body of airbag design secured close to a user's body, a filling unit, a compressed gas unit with a compressed gas container and a release mechanism capable of actuation without a tool and attached to the compressed gas unit via a quick coupling and a release tubing. Compressed gas is transmitted to the buoyancy body via the filling unit upon actuation of the release mechanism. Actuation of the release mechanism produces a controlled pressure wave, which starts the flow of compressed gas from the compressed gas container to the filling unit).
An avalanche life jacket having an airbag inflatable by a gas release system upon actuation is disclosed. The life jacket provides a torso strap and buckles for attaching the life jacket to the user. Prior to inflation, the airbag is folded and enclosed within the harness. The harness encloses the airbag via an enclosure mechanism, which opens during inflation of the airbag to allow the airbag to fully expand. The life jacket further comprises a gas release system, which may be automatically actuated by an accelerometer and/or manually actuated by the user's pulling of a release handle. Upon actuation, the gas release system releases gas into and inflates the airbag. The airbag inflates to surround at least the back and sides of the user's head to thereby provide physical protection and a thermal buffer between a portion of the user and the external environment, for example, during and after an avalanche and to facilitate search and rescue of the user after the avalanche. The inflated airbag also provides a buoyant force against the downward force exerted by the current of the avalanche as well as a supply of breathable gas. A hood or mesh is also included to shield the user from the external elements such as snow and thereby facilitate in preventing injury and/or suffocation during a fall or an avalanche.
The avalanche survival pack assembly includes a main support chest pack assembly to be secured as by a waist support assembly and a shoulder harness assembly to a user thereof; an oxygen supply assembly or means to provide oxygen through a nose/mouth mask assembly to be worn by an avalanche victim and placed in operation on initially observing being caught up within an avalanche condition; an auxiliary power supply assembly to provide electrical battery power to an oxygen conserving assembly or means and a radio signal transmit beacon assembly or means; 4) the radio signal transmit beacon assembly to transmit a radio signal therefrom for aiding in locating the avalanche victim by avalanche rescuers; a visual location indicator assembly having a lengthy, brightly colored ribbon-like material and having one end connected to the main support chest pack assembly and the other end to be trailed outwardly hoping to be exposed on a top surface of the avalanche snow pack; and a control circuit assembly operable to automatically energize itself on closing an “on” switch to provide oxygen to the avalanche victim even though the victim may be in an unconscious condition. The main pack assembly is provided with a CO2 absorbing foam material which is important in increasing the chances of an avalanche victim's survival. The oxygen supply assembly has been modified with an oxygen conserving assembly to provide a pulsating supply of oxygen to the avalanche victim which is sufficient to provide a life-sustaining oxygen condition for a period of at least one hour. The nose/mouth mask assembly is provided with a face mask member having discharge valve members to discharge carbon dioxide from the nose and mouth sections of the avalanche victim and having a teeth grip member to be grasped by teeth of the avalanche victim to securely hold in a usage position.
Rescue apparatus and method. The apparatus includes a tear-resistant airbag bound to a frame that is securable to a person. To initiate rescue action, the airbag is inflated by pressurized gas to buoy the attached person at, for example, the surface of the avalanche. The apparatus is formed by a frame with a collar to which the airbag is attached. A filling mechanism for the airbag is positioned within the frame and includes a nozzle valve that operates in accordance with Venturi action.
An inflatable garment which is close fitting at neck, ankles, and wrists is worn by a person getting into it through an aperture which extends from neck to crutch and which is closed by a zip fastener or other suitable means. Canisters of a compressed gas which is lighter than air are fitted to the waistband of the garment. For fire escape the gas must also be non-inflammable. The gas is released by a quick release mechanism into voluminous pouches at the sides, on top and behind the shoulders. The gas will provide lift to the body overcoming much of the body's weight to the extent of allowing the person to step off the level at which there is danger and descend to a lower level more slowly than without the garment.
An improved rescue device for locating persons buried by avalanches operates in either a transmit mode or a receive mode. A first belt terminator is lockably engagable with a first belt terminator receptor on a case, and is associated with a power switch. The power switch switches between a power on position and a power off position in response to the engagement and disengagement of the first belt terminator with the first belt terminator receptor, and preferably is also independently manually operable. A second belt terminator is lockably engagable with a second belt terminator receptor on the case, and is associated with a mode switch. The mode switch toggles between a transmit mode position and a receive mode position, and preferably is also independently manually operable. A signal processing system generates a visual display which provides graphic information to expedite searching. Prompt icons are displayed when a coarse search or a pin-point search should be conducted, when the stage of a multistage amplifier should be changed, or when the rescue device needs to be reoriented to obtain maximum signal strength. Preferably, the signal processing system also displays the signal strength as a bar graph and displays an estimated distance to the buried transmitter.
While these improved rescue devices for locating persons buried by avalanches may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.